Speaking of perfect plans, we had another day that required a pivot, and this time we pivoted HARD! Our plans for the day?   A visit to Hampton Court Palace, the home of Henry the Eighth and his Six Wives.  But let me backtrack just a little first.  A couple days ago at  Kew Gardens I spotted a man with a “Ted Lasso” bag. I wanted to chase the guy down and ask where the store was, but moment passed and I lost my opportunity.  I filed it away and made a mental note to keep an eye out (or to google it later). 

Another small, seemingly insignificant detail was that the train we rode on to Kew, was the train that ended in Richmond…. The setting for Ted Lasso.

At the time they seemed like throwaway details, turns out they weren’t. 

Our PLAN for the day was to have a slow morning and a leisurely train ride out of town to visit Hampton Court.  A LOT of Bridgerton is filmed there, particularly in the gardens where they do the “Regency Stroll” a term invented by Scott describing those scenes in all Regency movies and TV shows where the characters drift arm-in-arm to flirt and gossip followed by a chaperone of course. Dashing men ride by on horses and old spinsters roll along in carriages.  That is all to say, that Scott and I enjoyed a Regency Stroll along the grassy pathways in Kew Gardens and were looking forward to a RS in Hampton Court gardens. 

Anyhoo, we boarded a train and headed out of town to Hampton. An hour later we crossed a bridge over the Thames and saw Hampton Court come into view, only to discover it was CLOSED for a “private event.”  And just like that – the plan was gone.

In the end I think I handled the closure well when you consider that I came dangerously close to tears.  We ended up taking a walk along the Thames that sort of circled the castle, some of which was visible, and some that was hidden behind stone walls with wicked spiked tops.  We did get to see some of the regency walking garden… and it turns out the “private event” was a movie or tv show being filmed. We watched for awhile, it was a large crew lugging lights and cameras around and I guess if you are watching a movie with a castle garden some day, and you see two faces squeezed between the bars of the palace fence, know that is us!

After our walk, we caught a bus to…. You guessed it…. Richmond. Totally spontaneous stop at the home of Ted Lasso.  We did all the Ted Lasso things.  We walked in the park where Roy Kent coaches soccer.  We sat on the bench where Ted and Beard would solve the world’s problems.  We ate in the local pub (VERY good food by-the-way).  We knocked on Ted’s door. And we bought kitsch at the souvenir shop.  It was an adorable spot in a pretty town we would never have gone to if things had not gone sideways.  We had a great time!

We actually had a lot of energy and decided to catch another play.  We really debated and almost gave up. The options were so overwhelming, but then google assured us that Kinky Boots was the classic, flashy show we wanted to see and we loved it.  There is just something about being in an opulent venue, hearing live theater, and the caliber of the acting, singing, dancing!!  Just a perfect chef’s kiss.

One final moment from the day…. we passed Leicester Square again – by now we called it our square – and it was packed with  throngs of teenaged girls all pushing against a fenced off barrier, singing and dancing and holding signs. A sign caught my eye and I recognized the words “Billie Eilish.”  She was coming!   I was instantly caught up in the excitement- for about three minutes until I realized we were surrounded almost entirely by thirteen year olds and a few mom types. Suddenly I felt very… not the target audience and slipped away for dinner, although we could see groups of girls sprint by the restaurant window. After dinner we walked back by Leicester Square at the same time that Billie was arriving.  The screaming was absolutely deafening, but it was pure joy! Honestly they were just adorable. 

So I guess Scott was right- you can’t always trust google to help you wander well, but if you remain open to opportunity it can lead you to trading Henry the Eighth for Ted Lasso.